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Watch Fortress Malepertus
Located towards the western border of the Eressa Sector, Malepertus is the headquarter of the Deathwatch and serves as the first bastion against the many Xenos incursion plaguing the sector. From here, Watch Commander Todtgrimm sends the many Kill-Teams on their uncountable missions. Carved from the twisted hulls of a Space Hulk, Malepertus is, akin to a Ramilles-Class Starfort, fully void capable and not bound to a single location. However, to move the Fortress through the Warp takes an exorbitant amount of resources and preparation. History While many Chapters of the Astartes were involved in the Macharian Crusade and the subsequent pacification of the Macharian Heresy, the closing years of the 41st Millennium held uncounted challenges for the Imperium. This forced the deployment of the Astartes elsewhere, leaving the distant Eressa Sector to the many, often otherwise occupied regiments of the Astra Militarum. Eventually though, the need to combat the many Eldar and Ork forces demanded a more specialized force and so, it was decided to permanently maintain a Watch Fortress. The Malepertus Almost coinciding with the arrival of the first Deathwatch fleet in 462.M41 was the emergence of a Space Hulk in the eastern parts of the sector. This titanic vessel was dubbed Malepertus after a mythical, labyrinthian fortress of ancient legend, fitting the twisted, warped corridors of the many ships that made up the vessel. After clearing the halls and chambers of Orks and other, untold, horrors, the examination by the Adeptus Mechanicus revealed that many of the facilities within the Hulk could be turned operable with less effort than it would take to construct an entirely new structure. In exchange for access to the technologies found within, the Mechanicus began to reconstruction. Floors were brought to an even level, all rooms sealed against the void and artificial air recyclers installed. Then, facilities for communication systems and an astropathic choir as well as vaults, libraries and cogitator arrays were installed, followed by defensive weapon batteries and void shield generators. After only a decade, Malepertus was declared fully operable. Layout Carved from ships and rocks fused together by the powers of the Warp into a single, monstrous entity, Malepertus only barely resembles a space ship anymore. It is a labyrinth, its contorted, twisting corridors acting as much as a defense against intruders as the Hurricane and Heavy Bolter Turrets and Combat Servitors. While the Fortress is roughly divided into three general areas, smaller facilities such as Scriptora, Refectories and Guest Quarters are spread all around the Fortress' to be used by Brothers at their personal leisure. Prow Area * Docks & Hangar Bays - The main, and for some only, access to Malepertus is located at the prow, where meter thick void gates shield the hangar bays. Arriving ships are docked to the hull of the Fortress, connected to it via armored docking tubes. * Troop Quarters - Right behind the hangar bays lie the quarters of the Brothers and below them, that of the human servants. Preceded by artificial choke points and gun emplacements, a possible invader able to overcome the Fortress' defenses and the inner defense systems, will have to face the by then fully armed Brothers. Central Chambers * Hall of the Watch - At the heart of Malepertus lies the Hall of the Watch, a command center stretching over several floors, outfitted with countless pict-screens, displaying the most recent Xeno movements, Deathwatch operations and troop deployments within the sector. Fed by numerous cogitators and operated by dozens of servants, the informations processed here are invaluable in protecting Eressa against the Enemy From Without. The undisputed domain of Watch Commander Todtgrimm and the Watch Captains, few outsiders are allowed in these walls. * Astropathic Choir - Right above the Hall of the Watch lies the chambers of the Fortress' Astropathic Choir and Navigators. This includes not only the actual Choir chambers, but also their private quarters, which are closely guarded and all times. They can either be locked down remotely or ridded of their artificial atmosphere in case of a daemonic incursion. * Halls of War - Located west of the Hall of the Watch, these facilities include the Fortress' armory, maintained by the Techmarines. The inner vaults are guarded by the Keeper Moriscant and the access to the ancient and potentially dangerous relics they hold requires the permission of the Watch Commander. The Reclusiasm is also located within these rooms. * Halls of Wisdom - On the opposite side of the Halls of War lie the Apothecarion and the Librarium, the latter containing not only copies many important scrolls and books with Xeno-lore that have served the Deathwatch for millennia, but also documents gathered during Malepertus' own short history. The Apothecarion is connected to a number of vaults and laboratories containing Xenos specimen preserved in stasis vaults. Stern Halls * Ivory Choir - Regarded with suspicion by the majority of Brothers, the Ivory Choir was once part of an Eldar Vessel. A single large chamber, its walls lined with the larger-than-life statues of Eldar, Inquisitor Bao Zhu has made it her personal domain, from where she directed her network of agents. After her disappearance, the rooms were sealed off by the Eressa Conclave, never to be opened again. * Generatorum - The jealously guarded domain of the Techpriests, plasma generators large enough to rival houses in size power the entire Fortress. The Malepertus is capable of Warp travel, though it takes an immense amount of preparation to do so and such reserved for dire circumstances. * Penitorum - Used for either Brothers that have failed the Chapters or human targets, the Penitorum is located uncomfortably close to the generators. The heat produced there can be redirected into the cells as a means of torture or emergency execution. Sector Extremis *'The Gyre' - The informal nickname for the maze-like warren that serves as the Watch Fortress' premier training area. A labyrinth of detritus and scrap, the Gyre's layout is reconfigured each day by a small army of construction servitors, creating a new type of arena for every live-fire drill or war game undertaken by Deathwatch Astartes, with various factors such as emplaced auto-turrets, traps, and even small packs of captured xeno-breeds being periodically introduced to keep the Marines on their toes. *''Reynard's Respite'' - Near the core of the hulk lies the remains of the ancient starship, supposedly built by human hands but in a halcyon era long before the Imperium was even so much as a concept. The secrets of the Golden Age lie within its twisting halls, but so do unspeakable dangers, as though some unknown artifice the entire ruin exists out-of-sync with the rest of the material universe. Those foolhardy enough to enter might reappear within the blink of an eye, aged hundreds of years within the span of a few seconds. Some disappear for decades before returning seemingly unscathed by the ravages time and with no memory of what they encountered. Others simply vanish altogether, never to be seen again. Needless to say, this area has long since been declared off-limits, its entrances guarded by Deathwatch Keepers at all times. Notable Personnel Astartes *'Watch Commander Eadred Todtgrimm '- As Commander of the Malepertus, Todtgrimm the Forbearer keeps one armored gauntlet on the Eressa Sector's pulse at all times, directly overseeing all Kill-Team deployments no matter how minor. Though some chafe under his more hands-on approach, any detractors are quickly silenced upon meeting the man himself; a towering, stoic presence, not the least bit concerned to wade into the fray himself if need be. *'Watch Captain Ciaran '- A Captain under Eadred and almost something of an antithesis, few outside the Watch Fortress would believe such different men being capable of working together. Unlike the Commander, Ciaran believes every marine and Kill-team under his command should be fully capable of operating at peak capacity without his direct over watch. As a marine of the information focused Twilight Shadows, he also serves as master of the fortresses Data Vaults and is often present for Kill-team mission briefings. *'Keeper Moriscant '- The sole Keeper on the isolated Watch Fortress, Moriscant is the oldest marine on the watch station though his blood of Sanguinius makes him appear younger than the Watch Commander. As Keeper it is his duty to watch over the Relics and Xenos specimens in the deepest Vaults of the fortress. Allowing only those with permission from the Watch Commander within the realms in his charge, Moriscant only rarely leaves his post, and never leaves the Watch Fortress. *'Skotadi' A Black Shield hailing from a unknown chapter, he has gone so far as to abandon his name, taking up a name that means "Darkness" in some forgotten language. He rarely shows his face, preferring to spend what little spare time he has in his quarters. *'Khaidai' A Techmarine of the White Scars chapter, he is Skotadi's equal and opposite. Where Skotadi is nearly silent, Khaidai is loud and boastful, both of his combat record and his mechanical skills. He is frequently seen doing minor repairs in the Fortress or its vehicles, with a Grapplehawk sitting on one of his pauldrons Inquisition *'Shadow Inquisitor Shenhua Bao Zhu '(638-675.M41) - Not one for direct combat, Inquisitor Bao Zhu oversaw an ever-increasing network of spies and informants as well as part of the archives of Malepertus from her personal refuge, the 'ivory Choir'. A quiet but amiable woman, she was often the one handling the initial contact with the Imperium, relaying her information towards Watch Commander Todtgrimm and on occasion, offering advice. Inquisitor Bao Zhu was not aligned with any official Ordo and relayed relevant information to other Inquisitors all over Eressa, until her mysterious disappearance in the area known as Reynard's Respite. *'Duranti Tyree' (650.M41-) Born aboard an Imperial Vessel, he was the sole survivor of a Freeboota attack before being rescued and taken in by the Ordo Xenos. Raised to hate Greenskins and their like- he has vowed revenge for the death of his family. Though he is young and yet to earn the title of Inquisitor he has already begun to seek out acolytes of his own, men and women who hate Orks as much as he does. Others * Magos Xenologis Arbuth Lace '''(birth date unknown, aboard since 595.M41) - Lace' service aboard Malepertus is equally self-chosen and imposed exile, as he possesses a dangerous curiosity regarding Xenos and their biology. Overseeing the vast laboratories of the fortress along with the Apothecarii of the Deathwatch, he is at constant risk to have his whole work purged. Nevertheless, he continues in his endeavours to unravel the mysteries of Xeno biology, especially those currently unknown to the wider Imperium. * '''Sister Hospitaller Gilliam (601.M41-711.M41) - Recruited by Inquisitor Zhu to dampen Omicron's over-enthusiastic urges, the Sister aids him in his dissections while tryingn to ensure that his work does not cross the borders of heresy. While her current duty is far from her original vows, Gilliam's skill are applicable nonetheless. Notable Relics * The Oathblade - With all records regarding the weapon's origins expunged, its existence is a well-kept secret of Malepertus. Taking the form of a single-edged, strangely curved blade, the Oathblade is usually bestowed upon a Brother with outstanding against a certain, especially loathed foe or as an instrument of penance for a past failure. Through rituals known only to the Fortress' Watch Commander and the most senior Epistolary, the wielder is bound to the blade, enabling him to survive otherwise lethal wounds as long as his target still lives. The Brothers in question have their minds cleared of the details of the procedure. * The Grasp of Command - Recovered during the Deathwatch's initial cleansing of the Malepertus, the Grasp of Command is a relic Power Fist from a bygone era of humanity. Roughly the size of a standard Astartes gauntlet, the Grasp is constructed of an unknown brass-like alloy, its surface studded with protruding fulmination circuits and electro-capacitors that when active crackle with barely-contained skeins of power, granting the wielder near-unlimited control over localized electromagnetic forces. Given the sheer power of this weapon, it is almost exclusively wielded by the current Watch Commander of Malepertus, passed down through the generations as a symbol of their authority and responsibility. * Feel Free To Add Your Own Watch Stations From Malepertus, several dozen Watch Stations all over the sector are monitored and maintained. Few of these are manned and even fewer with Astartes. * Watch Station Yaelea - Located in the Yaelea System, this unmanned sensor array drifts through the system on a steady course, constantly scanning for the presence of Xeno vessels. * Watch Station Farsight - A small bunker on a moon in the Chodounska system, monitored by a group of Tech Priests. * add your own Quotes Category:Deathwatch Category:Imperium Category:Space Marines